In September, David Lapartiento called this "fake news," but a few months after that comment, the UCI president will be able to read the very real news that a new union representing the members of the men's professional road peloton has been formed.

While it will not immediately incorporate the riders of the women's peloton, The Riders Union (we prefer to call it The Riders Union) was launched today and will hopefully have over 200 members by early 2021.

Although The Riders Union is still in its infancy and has not yet completed its constitution or registration form, the new organization has several key areas of interest for riders, including financial sustainability of the sport, road safety, security (social security), and transparency in the governance of the sport through direct representation and voting The manifesto represents.

Members of The Riders Union will be required to pay monthly dues and will include riders from the women's peloton in 2021. The idea for the Riders Union arose after complaints and grievances arising from the CPA (Cyclist Professional Association) union. The organization has been accused of being a puppet of the UCI and not properly advocating for riders' rights; the CPA has also faced criticism for its organizational structure and internal election system based on national association blocs, with riders calling for the implementation of a "one rider, one vote" protocol.

The new group, which does not have a website but has opened social media accounts, is spearheaded by former team association boss Luke Eisenga and former Jumbo Visma member Steph Clement. The rest of the board consists of Michael Rutherford, Andrew McQuaid, and Tibor Hofer.

"I brought people together and listened to a lot of riders and stakeholders," Clement told Cycling News and other cycling media members on Monday.

"I'm proud and pleased that after six months of dialogue with the CPA and other stakeholders, we've come to the conclusion that there's enough merit to create something new.

"One of the complaints I heard was that riders were not being listened to and that no one was listening to them. For years, riders have felt that way, but to be a member of our union, you have to be willing to join. Yes, we need some riders to build a base, but we also need active riders, riders who really want to make a difference.

"Our goal going forward is to get as many members as we can so that we can start a riders' union. Our first goal is to create a foundation and platform for riders to join this union, regardless of their background or country, as long as they are male professional riders."

In June, more than 325 professional riders signed a petition calling for reform of the CPA. The list includes Chris Froome, Nicolas Roche, Robert Gesink, Matej Mohoric, Yasper Steiven, Sam Bury, Jos van Emden, and Cohen de Kort. Along with frustration over the CPA's lack of action in many areas, including rider safety, the riders were also angered by the CPA's support of the UCI's call to allocate €1 million from the WorldTour emergency fund to cover the costs of the legal battle with Veron.

When rumors of a new riders' union began to surface during the World Championships in Imola in September, La Partiente took a negative attitude, even describing the information sent to the riders as "fake news" and suggesting that the attacks on the CPA were "part of a global strategy to destabilize the UCI The UCI President also said: "It is true that the CPA is being destabilized, but it is part of a global strategy to destabilize the UCI, the governing bodies and other existing organizations.

According to the Riders Union, a meeting between the Riders Union and the CPA was requested during the World Championships, but never materialized.

The formation of the Riders' Union is a major step in the process of determining how they would respond if the UCI and the CPA did not recognize their authority, how riders would react to the possibility of becoming members of two organizations that claim to represent their interests, and how the close CPA-UCI raises several major questions, including how the new Riders Union would attempt to work with the CPA if CPA members sought to act against the close relationship.

When questioned about their relationship with the CPA and UCI, Riders Union leaders appeared to be seeking resolution rather than confrontation, and while the CPA has yet to make any official comments about the new organization, their presence would almost certainly be considered an act of aggression. [It is unclear what action The Riders Union would take if the CPA and/or UCI did not recognize their status or legitimacy. As is the case with the Cyclist Alliance, which has gained support as a union for the women's peloton but is not officially recognized by the UCI, it is unlikely that The Riders Union would have a seat at the Professional Cycling Council (PCC) meetings that shape the direction of the sport.

"We are confident that once the riders understand that we are promoting this cause and word gets out, they will join us," Eisenga said.

"We have a good group of riders and the signature drive we did a few months ago brought in 350 riders from the peloton in just a couple of days. We talked about how one rider has a vote, a direct influence, and ultimately it's up to them to decide whether or not they want to participate. We believe we have enough interesting and positive aspects to offer.

"Every athlete has the freedom to join any union they want. I have already contacted the CPA this morning and told them that we are launching today and will keep them informed. For us, it is not about fighting. It's about protecting the sport and the interests of professional riders. It may be that there will be two unions defending riders, which is actually quite normal

"It is time for a proactive riders' association that can defend riders' interests and work with other stakeholders in the sport. But recognition [with the UCI] is not the first step, it is the result of an effort."